Gautama Mehta

Gautama Mehta is the the 2024-2025 Grist environmental justice reporting fellow.

Scherer coal plant north of Macon, Georgia.

Why Mississippi coal is powering Georgia’s data centers

The Southern Company has an official target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 — but its regional affiliates disclaim any responsibility toward achieving that goal, leaving open the question of how the company as a whole can decarbonize while its subsidiaries are building new fossil infrastructure and delaying the retirement of existing coal plants.

August 28, 2024